This patent application claims the benefit of the earlier filed European Patent application serial number 07290412.1 filed on Apr. 4, 2007 under 37 CFR 1.55(a).
This invention relates generally to a method for purification of glycerol, especially crude glycerol derived from biodiesel production.
High fuel prices and environmental concerns are driving development of alternative fuels, especially those derived from renewable resources. One such fuel, commonly known as “biodiesel” fuel, commonly contains methyl esters of fatty acids, and is burned in diesel engines. One source of biodiesel fuel is transesterification of triglycerides, such as vegetable oils with alcohols, typically with methanol. Glycerol is produced as a byproduct of this process, and typically is contaminated with salts of fatty acids and inorganic salts. The prior art discloses methods purification of glycerol, e.g., by ion exclusion chromatography in D. R. Asher & D. W. Simpson, J. Phys. Chem., vol. 60, pp. 518-21 (1956).
However, poor separation is achieved by prior art methods.
The problem addressed by this invention is to find an improved method for purification of glycerol.